Devices for holding baby bottles are well known to those skilled in the art. These devices are often used to hold the nursing bottle during the feeding of an infant.
As early as 1930 a baby bottle holder was disclosed, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,786,459 of Burdick Simons. The device of the Simons patent comprised a base, and an arm attached to the base; the base was of a size and weight sufficient to maintain the bottle holder in an upright position when the base rested on a supporting surface, and it had a clamping member attached to it.
The baby-bottle holder of the Simons patent was relatively heavy and awkward. Its flexible arm 2, which was attached to a baby bottle holder and a clamp, was ". . . of an old . . . construction . . . of the type employed . . . in connection with table and desk lamps". However, in order to provide a reasonable range of adjustment for the arm of Simon's device, a relatively long and heavy flexible arm had to be used. Because of the length of the arm, it had to be stronger and heavier to support the weight at its ends. Its increased length and weight made it difficult to use, especially when clamped close to the infant using the device.
The flexible arm 2 of the device of the Simon patent is attached to a bottle clip 4, which is adapted to receive a baby bottle. When a baby bottle is inserted into clip 4, flexible arm 2 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bottle and substantially perpendicular to the surface of the clamp used in his device. Because of this means of connection, the when it is desired to connect the Simons bottle holder at a point close to an infant, flexible arm 2 must be twisted and turned in contorted position.
The clip 4 of the Simons patent is comprised of concave parallel fingers 5 and 6. In order to use the device of Simons, one has to, with a substantial amount of force, first spread fingers 5 and 6 apart, insert the baby bottle therebetween, and then allow such fingers to grip the bottle.
It is an object of this invention to provide a baby bottle holder which can readily be attached to or removed from either a crib, a baby's car seat, a baby stroller, a baby carrier, and the like.
It is another object of this invention to provide a baby bottle holder which is relatively lightweight.
It is another object of this invention to provide a baby bottle holder which is comprised of more than one means for varying the position of the baby bottle.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a baby bottle holder which is relatively compact.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a baby bottle holder comprised of means for readily and easily inserting the baby bottle into the holder.